November 15th 2024.
A man has been sentenced to jail for committing a violent act of rape against a woman at a luxurious hotel. During the trial, he tried to discredit the victim, calling her an attention-seeker and even telling her that she deserved what happened to her. However, the judge was not convinced by his claims of remorse, as he continued to downplay his actions and seemed to believe that he was only found guilty due to the increased awareness and discussions around violence against women in the community.
The culprit, Joel Nathan Fitzpatrick Burtt, who will be turning 23 this weekend, was given a sentence of at least five years and six months in the NSW District Court. He was found guilty of sexual intercourse without consent, aggravated sexual assault, and choking. He also pleaded guilty to another assault offense, but his version of events was vastly different from the victim's, leading to a significant dispute that was not resolved in his favor.
Judge Sarah Huggett stated that she was certain Fitzpatrick Burtt knew that the victim was not consenting to his actions and was instead acting out of fear during the terrifying ordeal that took place in a room on the 11th floor of The Star hotel in Sydney in October 2022. "To the extent that the victim appeared to be consenting, it was only because she was afraid of further violence from the offender," the judge said. "The circumstances were extremely frightening, especially when the perpetrator told her that she was getting what she deserved."
According to the victim, Fitzpatrick Burtt grabbed her by the neck and forcefully held her down after they had gone to the hotel room to retrieve her belongings before a party. He then proceeded to sexually assault her multiple times before kicking her in the face when she started crying. As if that wasn't enough, he also poured an ice bucket over her and dragged her across the room by her hair. Witnesses in the adjacent room could hear the victim's screams.
Judge Huggett also noted that even during the trial, Fitzpatrick Burtt was still trying to discredit the woman he had raped, dismissing her as an attention-seeker. "His continual denial of the severity of his actions is very concerning," she declared. "At this point, all we can say is that his chances of rehabilitation are uncertain." Fitzpatrick Burtt will be eligible for parole in June 2029, but he will not be released until his full sentence of 10 years has been served in 2033. In the meantime, support is available for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence through the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT.
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